Behind Closed Doors
by BrDPirateMan
Summary: What can a girl do to attract a guy's attention? Invite him to the beach and wear a hot bikini, that's what! Shiki has no problems with the first part; the problem lies with the second...


**Behind Closed Doors  
**by BrDPirateMan

"Don't peek."

"Huh?"

"I said don't peek! Don't you dare, Neku."

"I-I'm not going to," said the boy.

He had a hard time staying still. In front of him was a curtain and his friend Shiki was changing behind it. Even though he could see nothing, he could hear the sounds her rustling clothing was making very clearly. Ahh… So this must be what a girl in the midst of undressing sounded like. No wonder he was shifting quite nervously and violently in his seat.

She was biding her time. It certainly was a while now, and even the sounds had stopped. The growing silence began to worry Neku. Did something happen to her? Perhaps he should check…

Her voice shot out at him sharply. "Stop!"

And he froze. "Wh-Whuh?"

"You stay in that chair until I say it's fine."

He gulped. How did she know he was in the middle of getting up? Now he was even more impatient. There was a whole colony of butterflies in his stomach.

Shiki breathed an exasperated sigh. She knew it was normal for a guy like him to act the way he did, but he was starting to get careless. There came a time when she began to worry he might whisk that curtain wide open. At the same time, however, she trusted him. He had been her friend for long enough for her to know he wouldn't do anything to get her upset. He wouldn't do anything funny.

Perhaps an explanation would shed some light on how their situation came about in the first place.

XOXOXOXOXO

The pink-haired girl crossed her arms and spoke to Shiki firmly, like an army sergeant. "It's good that you and Neku are finally starting to notice each other, but this is no time to relax."

"What do you mean?"

Miss Sergeant, otherwise known as gallant best buddy Eri, replied, "You must take action now, Shiki. You can't just sit and wait. If you want to get closer to Neku, you'll need to grab his attention and not let go! And now that the summer holidays are just round the corner, your timing couldn't be better!"

Shiki scratched her head. "I… don't quite follow?"

"It's simple. Invite him to the beach! Oh, but make sure you're wearing your best swimsuit. Otherwise there's no point."

"Huh? ! The beach? !" The bespectacled one felt a chill down her spine. Going to the beach wasn't the issue here. The problem didn't even lie with spending time with her crush at such a romantic location. But unlike Eri, she was shy and conservative and the most daring swimsuit she had ever worn was the sports version issued for PE lessons. There was no way she could bring herself to wear anything skimpier than that in public, and in front of Neku no less!

Eri was about to ramble on about the benefits a humble beach could possibly provide when Shiki stopped her. "When you mean 'best swimsuit'… exactly what kind did you have in mind?"

"A bikini. What else?"

"A _what? !_ Eek!" Shiki shook her head so much it might just pop off her neck. "No way, no way, no way! I'm not gonna wear something so embarrassing! Neku will turn into a complete beast and ravage me or something!"

Eri laughed it off. "Ol' Carrot Head wouldn't do something so nasty… He's a decent guy. I think your worries are unfounded."

"Y-You never know… I don't think I'll look good in a two-piece, anyway. They don't really suit me, you know? Some years back I tried one in a boutique and I didn't like it. I hardly think my opinion would change now."

"Hey, don't knock it till you try it! Sure, back then maybe you didn't look so good in one but I'd be hard-pressed to think _nothing's_ changed. I've known you for years and I'm positive you've become a lot hotter than you think."

Shiki chewed down on her fingernail like she always did when she was in deep thought. "Me… hot? I dunno…"

"You'll work the bikini look well," chuckled Eri, patting her friend on the head reassuringly. An idea that came to mind made her eyes glow like embers. "If you're still unsure, why don't you wear one for him to see? Then he can give you his honest opinion and you can put your heart at ease."

"What? !" Had Shiki been eating at the time she would have surely choked quite badly. "What… What do you – ? !"

"No, I think it's perfect." The strawberry-headed girl rubbed her hands in glee, and she looked much like a wicked witch. Or a mad scientist. "Get yourself and Neku in a room alone and show off your swimsuit to him… while wearing it, of course."

"Are you crazy? ! Are you telling me to get half-naked in the same room with a boy? With _him? !_"

Eri was merely being pragmatic. "You're scared to show too much skin at the beach, but no matter how you look at it, you can't avoid that fact if you're going to be in a bikini. So what I'm thinking is that you should build up more self-confidence. I'm sure if he gets a sneak peek beforehand he'll give you the feedback – and the guts – you need to strut your stuff for real. And then you two can enjoy yourselves at the beach without any regrets! Heck, it'll even be like a headstart to the relationship you want so much. Sound good?"

"B-But… what you suggested me to do is so kinky… I can't possibly – "

"Why don't you pretend like you're one of those models on the catwalk? Maybe you'll be fine if you have that mindset."

"Easy for you to say!"

Eri was starting to get irritated at her friend for being so indecisive. It was up to her to knock some sense into her thick skull. She went back into drill sergeant mode and chose some strong words.

"You'll get nowhere with Neku at this rate if you're so shy!" she berated. "If you don't man up and get a little daring, some other girl's gonna snatch him from right under your nose. Do you want that to happen, Shiki?"

That was the push Shiki needed to step out of her comfort zone. The danger of having her favourite guy stolen away was very real. Neku going out with another girl? Never! It mustn't come to pass! Sure, she wasn't as pretty or sexy as a lot of girls, but she was – in Neku's own words – his most precious friend and right now she had a good chance with him. She had the power to change her fate, and change it she would.

"You're right," she said, clenching her hand into a fist. "If I don't do something, it's game over for me. I'll show my fighting spirit and do my best. Just you watch!"

"Yay! That's more like it!" Eri whisked her into a quick hug. "You'll be fine! Neku's such a lamb. He's so gentle he wouldn't even think of hurting you. If anything, he'll be so shy from seeing you in a swimsuit for the first time that he'll just blush and be totally harmless."

Shiki couldn't resist a giggle. "I have to admit, I'd love to see that."

"Heh heh… I know, right? Now all that's left is for you to buy a bikini and you'll be good to go! We'll get the most outrageous one available to really get him to perk up and notice!"

"…I'll get one that suites my tastes, thank you very much."

"Tch… You're no fun. I've always wanted to see how you looked like in one of those dominatrix outfits… and carrying a whip… flogging Neku into submission…"

Shiki spluttered, "Wh-Where did that even come from? !"

XOXOXOXOXO

"Man, I can't believe I'm doing this…"

In the infirmary, Shiki was by herself, waiting for Neku. Fueled by leftover enthusiasm from yesterday's pep talk by Eri, she had asked him to meet her here. But now her gung-ho attitude had given way to nervousness and she was regretting her actions. A lot.

"Wear a bikini in front of Neku and see what he thinks!" was the plan. "Get him to notice and see your charm!" What a plan indeed. Only one as bold as Eri would come up with something like that. The only thing that made her feel better was that this could finally bring her closer to him, but even then it was cold comfort.

Her conversation with the boy played out in her head over and over.

"_You want me to see you at the infirmary after classes?" Neku dug his hands into his pockets casually. "Why? Do you need something?"_

"_J-Just come," stammered Shiki, avoiding eye contact. "I, uh, need your help with… something. Something."_

_He frowned slightly. "It's awfully suspicious when you say the word 'something' twice… What're you hiding?"  
_

"_N-Nothing!" _Gah_, she thought, _he almost got me!_ She couldn't very well tell him about the bikini she was secretly keeping in her school briefcase. It just wasn't done getting a hot-blooded young man like him too excited!_

_She felt her insides do cartwheels as she endured the next three painfully long seconds under his gaze. His eyes were a beautiful sapphire and she loved gazing into them as they talked. But now she just wanted to get the heck away because he was making her feel like a suspect during a police interrogation._

"_Just come!" she blurted at last. "Just come, okay? I'll, um, be waiting for you there."_

_He scratched the back of his neck. "Alright, if you say so. Ciao, then." _

Now there was no backing out. Her impossible mission would have to be carried out come rain, shine or hormonally unstable teenage boy.

Her feelings were conflicted. She wanted him to come but she also hoped this meeting would slip from his mind so she could go home and live another day without having to resort to such a mortifying tactic.

"Maybe," she muttered to herself, "maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all…"

"What isn't?"

"Waugh!"

Neku had just entered, but he was so silent she didn't even hear the door opening behind her.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" yelped Shiki, whose heart was racing from being startled. "It's rude, you know."

Neku winced from her outburst. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Well, n-never mind." _He's here! Neku actually came! Oh my god, oh my god, ohmygod! What do I do? ! Wait, why am I here again? !_

"So, what's up?"

Whenever Neku spoke it was always with a monotone that most people would tire of very quickly. But Shiki was familiar with all of his behavioural quirks and patterns, so she was able to pick up on the slightest lilts in his voice that showed he really cared about her. She was a lucky girl, she knew.

"Shiki? Hey, earth to Shiki…"

"Ah, um, right! I need you to help me a bit…"

"I know. You told me." He rubbed his forehead, still well in the dark. "But what could it be that you want to meet me here? It almost sounds like you want to rope me in on something naughty."

The stab she felt in her gut – mentally, of course – was more pronounced than she wanted it to be. She _did_ need his help and it _was_ about something naughty. That was one pang of guilt alright.

But Eri's words remained strong and stubborn inside her head: _this is no time to be shy! Fight, Shiki!_

"N-Neku, um, it's like this. See… Summer holidays are on the way, right? So I thought I'd go to the beach."

He leaned against the nurse's table and had the look of someone who was about to space out real soon. But he really was listening.

"The beach? Hmmm, yes, everyone in class seems to be talking about it. But where do I fit in?"

"Er, this… This is…"

_No,_ she told herself, _keep going! You're just a few more words to the start of a beautiful relationship! …Probably._

He stared at her curiously. "What's wrong?" he asked, growing concerned. "Your face is red. Are you not feeling well?"

"N-Nope, I'm as fit as a fiddle! S-See? !" Shiki wanted to flex an arm to emphasize that she was okay but was so panicked that she instead did a peculiar mishmash of a ballerina's pirouette and the Gangnam Style dance.

Needless to say, Neku was baffled, but was polite enough to play along, albeit rather unconvincingly. "Oh… er… That's… good to know."

_Darn it,_ she scolded herself. _Darn it, darn it, darn it! What is wrong with me? ! I must look like such an idiot now… No! Never mind about that! I have to focus on the task at hand! I've come too far to turn back now!_

She drew in an abnormally deep breath and released it slowly. Then… "Okay, Neku, bear with me for a bit, alright? 'Cause this is going to sound a bit crazy."

"C-Crazy? Um, yeah, no problem."

"The truth," – and in a rapid flurry of words she said it all – "is that I bought myself a new bikini to wear to the beach, but I don't know if I'd look good in it, so I was thinking of wearing it for you to see so you could give me your opinion! ! !"

By the time she was done her head was a giant tomato. Thanks to the general lack of coherence in that sentence, Neku could only make out bits and pieces, but he surprisingly managed to get the idea, and before long it was his turn to blush.

"Shiki?" he gulped. "Y-You're wearing… You're going to wear… a bikini? For real? ? ?"

She mistook the true meaning of his words and took offence. "Wh-What's that supposed to mean? ! Are you saying I can't wear one? That I might look terrible in one? You can't deflate a girl's pride like that!"

Neku panicked and his usually calm self began to degrade as he hurried to correct her. "No! You misunderstand me! It's just… if you're going to wear a bikini, then… then I want to see it. Or rather, I'd really love to see it! As in, really, _really_ love to!"

"Th-That was quick!" cried a bewildered Shiki, whose red face showed no signs of subsiding. "I thought you'd be too shy to do anything!"

He gawked at her, and this time it was he who misunderstood her. "Um, y-you actually want me to… do something to you? ? ?"

"No!" Her hands were flailing like a pair of whirlpools. "Eew! I did _not_ mean that at all! What're you thinking, you sicko? !"

"Wait!" The situation was getting out of hand quickly. He knew he had to do something or their afternoon would get a lot messier than it already was. He held up both of his hands to demand a timeout. "Wait wait wait wait wait wait."

_Th-That's six 'wait's'…_ Shiki paused to let Neku clear things up.

He knew he was treading on thin ice, so he chose his words carefully. In addition to that, he clasped her hands in his gently, hoping to emphasize that he was still a good, sincere friend. Both of them realized very quickly, however, that their hands were touching and it didn't take long for them to fidget a lot from the embarrassment – and secretly, the happiness – but Neku went ahead and started talking anyway.

"Look, Shiki, we're friends. You know I'm always there for you. I'm always glad to help you if you need something. Don't you know that already?"

"Y-Yeah," she muttered. "I… I do know…"

Neku wasn't famous for putting people at ease and had a habit of blundering through things, but he always meant well. So now he was putting together all the bits of advice he could think of that were relevant and gave them to her in a rather disjointed jumble. "Maybe your request is a little strange this time, but it's not like you mean any harm or anything. And it's always good to try new things. Plus, it's summer, so it'd be a waste to not go all-out and stuff, right?"

"Eri told me the same thing with that last bit…"

Seeing that she was getting less jumpy, he too slowed down and gave her another few more words that he spoke from his heart.

"I'm no fashion expert, but I think I'd know if a girl looks good in a particular swimsuit. If it's really okay with you, I can give you my two cents' worth, but I'd need to, um, see you in it."

Even he was more enthusiastic about this than she was! But then again it was easy to see why.

Shiki just gulped hard. "Th-That's the idea…"

"By the way, why do you have to do this here in the infirmary? We could do it at home." Neku had a good point, but Shiki had an even better reason to counter him.

"My parents are in. They'd go nuts if I brought a boy home."

"Then what about my home?"

"You've got your own parents to worry about!"

"Oh… right."

It was time to get down to business. The metamorphosis of Shiki Misaki was at hand and Neku was so excited. The plain Jane image was perfectly fine with him, but what harm was there to see how many heads she could turn in a swimsuit? He knew how she was so averse to sexy stuff, so he never once thought it was possible to see her in anything more than capris and T-shirts. It blew his mind to smithereens, but in a good way of course. This would be quite interesting.

Shiki was curious to know if she could bedazzle the socks off of him with her new clothes – or lack thereof as the case may be. Would the normally stoic Neku stay meek upon seeing her new self, or snap and pounce on her? All boys were predators to a degree, and there was no real telling how crazy he could go. Best to keep her guard up and her secret groin-crushing kick move at the ready in case things got out of hand.

There was one other thing that needed to be done.

She whisked the curtain closed, right in front of a befuddled Neku. He had been staring at her absentmindedly, waiting for her to get started. But she would be out of her mind to strip in front of him!

"…Pervert," she muttered through the curtain.

"B-But I haven't done anything yet? !"

"Sh-Shut up."

And that's how it all began. Now that the origin has been made clear, it's time to pick up from where their story left off.

Neku sat back in the chair begrudgingly. Shiki was biding her time, but he never liked waiting, now even more so. However, he didn't feel like occupying himself. He was too excited and distracted to read or do anything. Instead he settled for trying to unsuccessfully see through the curtain. It was somewhat translucent, but not enough to make out anything behind it… Disappointing, but…

Meanwhile, Shiki felt a chill. But it wasn't because she was completely out of her clothes now and the air-conditioning got to her…

"Hoi!" she snapped.

Neku almost fumbled out of his chair. "Wh-Wha…? !"

"Quit trying to make out my silhouette through the curtain! It's creepy."

He felt his skin crawl and blurted out, "Wh-What's really creepy is how you could know what I was doing without even seeing me!"

An uneasy silence fell over the room…

Neku felt like one of those kids who got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. "Uh, I think I might have said too much…"

"I'll just assume you never said that," sighed Shiki.

"S-Sorry…"

_Neku's not a pervert_, she kept trying to convince herself. _He's my best friend. I just know he's not a terrible character. He's just curious, really curious… I guess we're all at that age where we want to see members of the opposite sex naked, but…_

Eventually it was time for the grand unveiling. Shiki gave herself a final once-over to check that everything was in all the right places. She still trembled at the thought that what little left of her modesty was being protected only by four triangles of cloth and a lot of air. But these kinds of swimsuits were the norm at the beach; it was up to her to get used to it and the first step to doing that lay with Neku. She entrusted him to provide her with the ego boost she needed.

"N-Neku," she mumbled, almost whispering, "I'm done…"

He sprang to his feet. "Whoa, a-are you sure? Is it okay for me to look?"

"…Yeah."

"Really? As in, truly seriously really?"

"Yes…"

"You wouldn't get mad if I open the curtains now?"

"Uh… no."

Ten seconds passed, but the curtains remained shut. He had been raring to see her, so what was the holdup? Shiki wondered what he was up to, and a feeling of suspicion loomed in her gut.

The next time he spoke up, it was extra politely. "Shiki, w-would you mind if I… I take a photogr– "

"I… I _do_ mind!" she spluttered.

She heard him let out a soft groan of disappointment. Even though she felt mild outrage over his proposal to immortalize her on film, a part of her couldn't help feeling flattered. If they were closer and well within a relationship, she felt that she might relent and let the poor boy do as he wished. But they were far from being at that stage, so her privacy took priority. _Sorry, Neku… Maybe next time…_

He realized how silly he was and sobered up. "Ah, I understand. Ahaha! Never mind about me. I'm still happy you're even willing to show me your new swimsuit."

"Huh?" She just snubbed him, and he didn't think ill of her?

"More importantly, that you can still talk to me and regard me as a friend is good enough for me. My luck ain't too bad, huh?"

"Eh…? !"

To Shiki, those were some of the most sincere and heartfelt words she had ever heard him say, and she was beyond touched. She always thought he was cool, despite his stuffy attitude and overall lack of immediate likability. He's just the sort of guy who demands patience: give some time, and any girl worth her salt could warm up to him… or even fall in love with him like a certain bespectacled, currently half-dressed girl could attest to…

"Eep!" _What am I thinking at a time like this? !_

"Shiki? !" He jumped at her little scream. "Shiki, what's the matter? !"

It all went by so fast. He thought something had happened to her, so in a desperate rescue attempt, he slashed the curtain wide open to see what was wrong. His panic quickly turned to astonishment when the slender frame of his favourite gal pal filled up his field of vision. Startled by his actions, it was all Shiki could do to swallow down another scream. She scurried backwards only to bang her cute little behind against the bedside table… and that was when she remembered she was in a cubicle with Neku standing smack dab in the middle of the only way out. She was trapped.

The two-piece she was decked out in was a daring black colour. It was one of those string bikinis too, so without a whole lot to cover herself up with, it left little to the imagination. Neku was amazed by the transformation she had undergone. Beautiful legs… terrific breasts… and the tastiest midriff he had ever seen. For the normally demure Shiki to turn out this _sexy_ was like winning the lottery… or something along those lines.

Meanwhile, Shiki was growing both uneasy and irritated by his gawking – it disturbed her greatly that he hadn't even blinked once!

"N-Neku!" she yelped. "Stop staring!"

"Oh, wh-whoops! Sorry!" Feeling bad for her and forgetting why he was even here, he turned his back to her.

_Gah!_ thought Shiki. _What am I doing? ! I'm supposed to let him see! This defeats the entire purpose of the whole darn thing! C'mon, pull yourself together, Shiki. You can get through this._

Even from behind where she couldn't see his face, she knew she had dealt a painful blow to his pride. There was a noticeable slump in his shoulders and it made her feel guilty that it wasn't even his fault. He must have wanted to see her that badly. She couldn't bear to see him hang his head so dolefully and tried to make him feel better.

"Neku, I'm sorry," she said, clutching the back of his shirt. "It was just a gut reaction. I didn't mean… um…"

"It's alright," he muttered, still hurt from being scolded. "I wouldn't look if you don't want me to…"

"N-No, it's…!" _Did I practically kill him? ! That's some serious dark clouds there! ! !_

She knew she had to cheer him up… Eri had taught her this one trick to be used only in emergencies when a guy was getting dangerously close to depression and all methods of salvation had been exhausted. Since there was no alternative that came to mind, this was her best course of action and she went for it. It took her double the courage to do it though.

Shiki leaned against him from behind, holding her body close to his. This surprised him very much, but what she did next surprised him even more.

"Neku," she said as soothingly as could manage, "I'm so sorry. Y-You're the only one allowed to look at me, so… d-don't be shy." _'Don't be shy'… Kuh… If only I could take my own advice!_

Just as expected, he did a 180 degree turn and was immediately cured of his melancholy.

Unsure if he was really in the clear, he could only laugh nervously. "Oh, really? Th-That's nice to hear… I thought for a moment that you hated me."

"D-Don't be an idiot," chided a fidgety Shiki. "I could never bring myself to hate you. Compared to a lot of boys out there, you're one of the better ones, so stop being sad and be happy already." _Boys can be so simple-minded. But I guess that's part of his charm._ She smiled inwardly at the thought.

Another thing she quickly noticed while clinging onto his back was that, while it wasn't very wide or muscular at all, it was warm and gave her a feeling of security, as though if she ever bumped into any trouble he'd definitely be there to give her a hand.

"Shiki? Um… You're gonna get my shirt wrinkled…"

"Ah! Sorry!" And she let go, her face a breathtaking reddish hue.

He turned to finally get a good – and guilt-free – glimpse at her. Although he couldn't form the words to describe what he was feeling, the happiness was clearly seen on his face. So this was how Shiki Misaki looked like in beach garb… _Impressive. Good work, Shiki!_ He wanted to give her two thumbs up, literally, but that would be just too weird.

She squirmed under his gaze but fought back her 'stage fright'. "N-Neku, what do you think…? Does it look okay on me? Slide me an opinion here. And be honest."

He gulped hard when his sharp eye caught a particular detail.

"You wouldn't mind if I tell you the truth?"

"Of course I wouldn't. Now tell me what you think, Neku. I want you to tell me right away if there's anything about me that doesn't seem right."

"Then… for starters…"

Shiki's gut imploded with growing despair. _F-F-For… starters? ! Just how far did I mess up? !_ But she braced herself nonetheless and heard him out.

"Uh-huh," she encouraged him reluctantly. "Go ahead, I wouldn't bite."

"…I think the string on your bikini bottom is coming loose."

A horrified Shiki snapped her eyes downwards to find that he was right. She had tied it up in a knot that sat on her left hip, but it apparently wasn't snug enough and the string was unraveling. She hurried to tie it back up again, but was so preoccupied that she didn't see that the other knot on her right hip was pulling itself apart. Neku saw this thanks to his hawk-like eyes, but knew he had to act fast.

"Shiki, your – !"

All he wanted to do was to grab the offending knot so he could fix it up. He knew it wasn't very good form to touch a lady during a state of undress, but there was no time. However, his reflexes weren't very elegant, so instead of helping her, he dove straight at her like a cannonball and they tumbled onto the bed in a tangle of limbs. They even knocked their skulls together for good measure.

They lay on the bed, dazed like a couple of idiots. After the groans of pain died down and they saw the position they were in – him on top and her beneath – the blood rushed to their heads in gallons. They had to get off of each other or hell would be sure to break loose.

But they couldn't. They were secretly in love with each other, remember? They stared silently, struggling for the right things to say, wishing they could just say the magic words and upgrade their friendship to a more intimate level already. But it was impossible. And so they ended up in a different kind of daze… although they were still a couple of idiots.

Shiki was the first to speak. With an adorable stammer, she chided him, "Geez… Wh-Why did you do that just now…" Usually she'd be fighting to shove him away by now but she could find neither the strength nor the desire. _He's so delicious up close…_

Neku towered above her on all fours, hopelessly entranced by her. He would have thought she would be in a good mood to kill him, but her behaviour was surprisingly tame. He took it as a sign that he could stay on top of her a little longer…

"S-Sorry," he said, barely audible above the pounding of their hearts. "The other… The other knot on your bikini bottom… It wasn't secured properly either, so I just…"

"Y-You could've just told me, idiot… No need for you to push me down…"

"That wasn't the plan! I… I wanted to tie it up good, is all."

"You're even stupider than I… thought…"

"And you really ought to wear your clothes more… properly…"

Their argument lost steam very quickly and they were more interested in enjoying themselves – again, in secret. It would be so nice if time just stopped right then and there so they could relish this moment as long as they wanted and just be madly in love. A boy and girl alone in a room together with no one to disturb them… The possibilities were endless. What fun!

Too bad their reverie ended abruptly. The doorknob made a loud crunch all of a sudden, and they both froze solid. Was someone outside? ! Neku had locked the door behind him when he came in, but when they heard the unmistakable jingle of a bunch of keys, they knew their time was up. Uh-oh!

"S-Someone's coming!" gasped Shiki. "Clothes, clothes!"

"There's no time to change!" hissed Neku urgently. "They're already about to come in! We've got no choice. Hurry, get in here!"

"Neku, what're you – hey? !"

The door clicked open and in came the school doctor. She had heard sounds coming from within the infirmary and decided to check it out. Could there be someone inside? But only an empty room greeted her.

Maybe she would find her answers in the cubicle. She took a peek, expecting to find stowaways. The blanket on the bed was all bulged up, suggesting that someone was taking a nap. Students who were tired or feeling unwell would visit the infirmary to rest, and since she had seen plenty of these poor souls in her career, this was nothing new. She decided to leave the sleepyhead be and retired to her desk to rearrange her files.

Underneath the blanket, two unfortunate teenagers lay in hiding, hoping to fool the unwelcome visitor with their disguise. The good news was that the doctor bought it. The bad news was that she wouldn't leave.

"We're safe," whispered Neku, "I guess."

"Sure," said Shiki with a healthy dose of sarcasm. "And now we're stuck here too. This is _soooo_ brilliant!"

"C-Come on, it was the only way."

"Ugh… this is still a bit…"

They were forced to snuggle up to one another as close as possible to mimic the appearance of a single person in bed; two separate shapes under the blanket was a dead giveaway, after all. But they had never hugged each other before, and Shiki was still half-naked, so things were suitably kinky at the moment. Although they liked this new experience, they still had plenty to be embarrassed about, especially her.

"H-How long do we have to stay like this exactly, Neku?"

"I don't know… We just need to hold out until she leaves. Which wouldn't be too long. Hopefully."

_I have to keep clinging to him until it's over? !_ She was trembling like a dry leaf. _Oh my god! How long anyway? Five minutes? Ten minutes? Half an hour? An hour? ! Until late at night? ! This is crazy! I'll die! I'll totally die! ! !_

Neku's thoughts were far less hectic and a lot simpler.

_Nice bazongas, Shiki_, he whistled in his head. _Soft._

He was so glad he came up with the idea of taking cover under the… um, covers. He had never touched her like this before, and he wasn't even trying.

Five agonizing minutes passed and already Shiki was on the verge of going nuts. Being in such close contact with the boy she liked was a mind-blasting thing in itself, but in more serious matters, she was feeling cold. The blanket was too thin and her bare skin took the brunt of the air-conditioning. Even though Neku was close by, the warmth wasn't quite enough from cuddling up to him.

Her shivering did not go unnoticed. He asked, "What's wrong?"

"…I'm a little cold. The air-conditioning is getting to be a bit much for me."

"Yeah, you don't look so good." He started to think about what he could do to lessen her discomfort. There weren't many options available to him, except for one. The only one.

_Shiki might get mad at me for this_, he thought, _but she needs help bad. So… whatever._

Very gingerly he circled his arms around her frame and squeezed her closer, an action that immediately earned him some resistance from the girl, who started to squirm in protest.

"Wh-What're you doing? !" she hissed.

Neku knew what it was like to handle a neurotic girl: like cradling a bomb set to go off at the slightest movement. He chose his words carefully.

"But you said you were a little chilly… I'm only trying to warm you up."

She was about to refuse flatly and scold him for trying to cop a feel, but managed to push the pause button in time to weigh the gravity of their situation. There's no telling how long they'd be cooped up in there. If she took anymore of this coldness, she might sneeze and they'd be caught and done for! The thought sent into her head a multitude of horrific images of them being the laughingstock of the school. What a scandal it would cause! Her life would be ruined! That would be most horrid.

It couldn't be helped. Dire situations call for dire measures. So Shiki had to swallow her pride and agree to Neku's plan. The problem was in how she said it.

"P-Please be gentle…"

There are some things that are okay for a girl to say to a guy and some that aren't. Right now her words were teetering on the boundary of "let's just forget about everything, elope to a distant place, and have as many kids as we can handle".

Yup, Neku just heard something amazing. He wasn't expecting that. Something awakened inside him. Luckily for her he had an amazing level of control over himself, and she was safe from rape, but it didn't mean that she was safe from roving hands.

Before this he might have shown some restraint but this was too delicious an opportunity to pass up. His cute friend was right under his fingertips already; what's stopping him from touching her a bit more? Normally his inner gentleman would not go to such lengths but that side of his personality was taking a break.

Just when Shiki was about to dig in for a warmer embrace, she felt his hand slinking along the entire length of her back. She could have screamed.

Seething in an odd mixture of anger and arousal, she wanted to pinch him till he bled but eventually didn't out of fear that he might yelp and get heard.

"Neku!" she snarled. "Hands off!"

"B-But you're cold – "

"I can take care of myself after all – eek? !"

His hand travelled further downwards along her spine until it was resting just above the upper part of her rump. While he was busy relishing how shapely her contours were, she was trying her best to not kill him or make any weird-sounding moans.

_Argh!_ This was driving her nuts, and one would hardly be surprised why._ He's taking advantage of me… Boy, when I get out of this mess, the first thing I'm going to break from his body is…_

Neku knew he'd have to eat hell from Shiki after they survived this ordeal, but until then he could have his little slice of heaven. Her body arched and strained like a coiled-up spring as she endured his gentle but unrelenting caresses. Supposing they were in a more comfortable place and the mood was good, she might have enjoyed being petted like this. But now, not only was the place inappropriate, the time was wrong too. And his hand was straying a little too close to her butt.

_S-Stupid Neku! Th-The small of my back is my weak spot! Did he _have_ to touch it – EEK? !_

_Shiki really is amazing_, thought Neku, fingers dancing on the creamy texture of her skin. _I'm sure she must not like me very much by now though… Maybe I should stop… after this last bit…_

_There he goes again! ! ! That's the fifth time already! But… But why does his touch feel so nice? ! N-No good… If this keeps up, I'll explode!_

She had to stop him fast while her sanity was still intact. "Raagh! Neku, stop it! Stop your nonsense this instant – "

"Shhh!"

"What? !"

"Hang on. I think our doctor friend is leaving."

They stayed perfectly still and waited with bated breaths for the sound of the intruder shutting the door behind her. They tried to gauge the situation from the sounds they could hear. The rumble of a chair being pulled back seemed to make echoes in the tense atmosphere. And then finally, much to their relief, came the very welcome thunk of the door being closed. A few seconds of nothing later, they knew they were in the clear.

As soon as Neku flipped the covers away and sat up, the first thing he did was to take a deep breath and let it all out. Success! They had evaded capture as well as a stern talking-to. And as an added bonus, he got to cling to her… Sometimes the most harrowing of life's challenges were blessings in disguise.

"Man," he whistled, "it's good to be alive!"

A beast-like voice came from behind. "No, on the contrary, Neku, you're quite dead."

"Eh?"

He got the shock of his life to see Shiki bristling in a cape of fire. Her eyes were filled with danger. And the one word that best described her was "death". This was when he realized too late that while he may have had an enjoyable experience, he wouldn't be able to go home unscathed.

"To think I even trusted you!" Shiki roared, raining blows on him. "You just felt me up, jerk!"

"Ow! Sorry! Ow ow ow!"

He tried his best to shield himself from her fury, but when she showed no signs of stopping he scrambled to get away. Her reflexes were quicker though, and before he could make his great escape, she tackled him like a rugby player and sent the two of them flying through the curtain and sprawling onto the floor with a thud.

Neku lay helpless on the floor as Shiki sat on top of him and prepared herself for the kill. Seeing that things were about to take a turn for the worse, he risked a desperate attempt to save his life.

"Um, uh… peace?"

It didn't work.

Shiki's hands dove straight for his neck and she started strangling him. It was a pretty violent scene, what with his head lolling back and forth like a rag doll.

"You idiot! I'm gonna kill you!"

"Ack! Sorry! Mercy!"

Just then, amidst the chaos, the door swung open and the school doctor barged back in.

"Oh my," she was saying to herself like a ditz. "To think that I almost forgot my wallet. Also, I wonder what all that racket is abou– "

She stopped in her tracks when she saw the bizarre scene before her. There was a boy lying on the floor and a girl was straddling his lap wearing almost nothing. Her hands were tight around his throat and she was shouting something while wagging his head back and forth like mad. The boy was pleading for his life in the meantime. The doctor was positively gaping at the sight and she was wondering exactly what sort of tomfoolery these two were up to. After she tried to fit the pieces of the puzzle together as best as she could, she came to a shockingly incorrect conclusion.

_The girl is on top of the guy_, she thought, _so this must be one of those forbidden bedroom positions, isn't it? ! And not only that, the girl is helping to strangle him, so it must also be… auto-erotic asphyxiation? ! She's shouting her head off, and he's begging for mercy… Oh my god! This is totally BDSM! _

Her sudden presence startled them and the whole world went white. For Shiki, her world was a whole lot whiter. How mortifying it was to be caught with her pants – well, everything – down! She could just die.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the mistaken doctor blurted out the most inappropriate thing.

"Y-You two! Hang on! At the very least, you ought to wear some protection!"

XOXOXOXOXO

Later, once the hullaballoo was finally cleared up, the school doctor asked the two what they had been up to, and they had little choice but to explain everything. Luckily for them, she was a more easygoing character than they thought she would be, and she never once chided them or used a brusque tone. In fact, her warm disposition put them at ease, and soon they began to relax somewhat.

"Oh, so that's how it is…"

"I swear!" A now fully-dressed Shiki had just put the finishing touches to their tale and was now gesticulating, hands pointing in all directions. "We didn't do anything weird!"

The doctor just laughed good-naturedly. She even added half-jokingly, "And here I thought it's possible to do something so complex for sexual plea– "

"I told you," stammered the desperate girl, "it's nothing like that!"

Neku tried to help her out, but it wasn't a very good effort. "Yeah, think about it, ma'am. We're still underage for that sort of thing – oof!"

He clutched his ribs where Shiki had jabbed him so painfully. After the doctor was done chuckling, she cleared her throat and spoke kindly:

"Don't worry. I'll keep this a secret between the three of us. At any rate, now that I know the full story, may I say a few things?"

The two unfortunate teenagers braced themselves for a lecture.

She began, "So I get from your body language that you're quite interested in each other…" – they started fidgeting at those words in embarrassment – "…and while that's splendid, the school's infirmary is hardly the place to show off your new swimsuit, Shiki. Next time, do it at home, okay?"

Neku cast a look at Shiki that said "I told you so". In return, she shot him a brief glare that said "Shut up".

Now the doctor turned to the boy and said, "And as for you, young man, no matter how cute you think she is, it's not nice to outrage her modesty like you did. You should leave the petting for when you two are going out, you know. But for now – and pardon my choice of words – keep the perversion at a minimum, okay?"

He bowed his head so low in shame it was hard to tell that he was nodding. The sight tugged at Shiki's heartstrings. He may have acted like a total idiot earlier, but at the end of the day he was still the sensitive boy she loved.

"Understand, you two?"

"Yes ma'am. Sorry…"

The doctor smiled. "So long as you know what I'm getting at. Make sure you make up afterwards, yes? Now, I have to lock up the place tight, so I'm afraid you'll have to leave."

"Sorry for causing you so much trouble, ma'am," said Neku, "and, um, thanks for helping to keep this a secret."

"No problem. By the way, I wouldn't stop you or anything, but…"

"But?"

"Are you sure you don't want any condoms? I have some on me that I keep for emergencies – "

Her face a bright red, Shiki snapped in an instant, "We don't need them! ! !"

XOXOXOXOXO

They returned to their now-empty classroom so they could have some privacy and make up. Once the door was closed behind them the apologies poured forth like water, even more so from Neku. He said so many "sorry's" that not only did she lose count, her ears were starting to hurt as well.

As he continued to bow like a nodding donkey, he kept blabbering, "…And once again, I'm very sorry for all the trouble I've caused you. And also – "

"Oh, enough already!" huffed Shiki, rolling her eyes. "Look, I'm sorry too – it's my fault to begin with – but you don't need to out-apologise me like this."

"Ah… you're right. Sorry about – "

"There you go again. No more apologizing!"

He almost wanted to do just that once more but stopped himself in time. She let out a sigh.

"Seriously, Neku… All I want is your opinion on how I look in a bikini, and you go nuts."

He scratched the back of his neck and allowed himself a sheepish grin. "…It's the first time I've seen you in a swimsuit like that. I was really happy… You looked, um, super-cute in it." Very quickly he added, "Not to mention sexy."

It's easy to guess what kind of effect this had on Shiki. She was blushing rapidly and had to turn away to hide her tomato-skinned face. But she was delighted to hear him say that. Maybe she had a chance with him after all, and a really good one at that. Eri's words reverberated in her head yet again:

_You'll get nowhere with Neku if you're so shy!_ Her friend was right. Might this be the opportunity she was looking for to drop some major hints and ask him out?

"Shiki? Um, are you okay? You're kinda red in the – "

"I-It's nothing!" she denied. "I-I'm just getting mad all over again thinking about how you're such a handful."

"I'm sor– …I mean, I apolo– …ah, uh, this…"

"…Come with me to the beach tomorrow."

"Huh?"

"Tomorrow's Saturday, so there's no need to worry about school. Bring sunscreen and plenty of drinking water. Some snacks would be nice too. Meet me at the train station at nine, and… and come by yourself. Don't let anyone tag along."

Neku still wasn't sure he was hearing things right. Wasn't she mad just moments before?

"Do all that," continued Shiki, "and maybe I'll really forgive you."

The realization dawned on him that she was asking him to spend time with her. This was a date, wasn't it? This was _totally_ a date. His heart swelled with delight and his answer to her request was both simple and enthusiastic.

"O-Okay!"

...

**Author's note:  
I hope this story wasn't too offensive. It's got a lot of sexy parts, but that's because I wrote it as an ecchi comedy from the ground up. Also, I hope I don't get my account suspended or banned for using that cover image. I mean, Shiki's not naked, but... it's a bikini. Might be too much for some. Anyway, most of all, I hope you enjoyed _Behind Closed Doors_. Been a while since I wrote NekuXShiki, and it feels good!**


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